10 Legit Ways to Make Your First $1,000 Online

If you’re interested in becoming an expat or just traveling more, then money is one of your biggest concerns.

After meeting and talking to dozens of travelers over the past 3 months, I realized that most people choose to work for several months, save up then use their savings to travel.

It’s a common strategy, but it’s not the most efficient way to live overseas. The biggest problem with this strategy is you run out of money then return home broke.

Not only are you running on a financial treadmill, but you are missing out on investment opportunities because each trip depletes your savings.

A Better Strategy: Work and Make Money Online

Keep your job but also use the internet to create a second income. Most people use social media sites like Facebook and Youtube on a daily basis so you already invest a substantial amount of time online.

Why not use that time to earn a second income?

Here’s 10 quick & easy ways to make your first $1,000 online even if you’re a complete beginner.

1. Sell Your Own Product/Service

It’s the easiest way to make your first dollar online without needing tons of traffic or a huge audience. Simply create a product or service then market it to a specific target group.

Back in 2011, I wrote a 70 page ebook geared towards FIFA soccer gamers and earned $20,000 over a couple years with a simple gaming guide.

There’s also lots of simple services including everything from web design to transpcription services you can offer.

Be creative and create something unique that people want to pay for.

2. Google Adsense

I earned my first dollar online using the Google Adsense network back in 2006. You sign up for Adsense and place a simple javascript code on your website/blog. Within 10 minutes, Google will show advertisements next to your content on your website.

It’s great for niches where selling products/services would be difficult. Think topics like celebrity gossip, fashion, sports or anything that people read/watch for entertainment purposes.

3. Affiliate Marketing

Affiliate marketing is one of the most lucrative businesses because companies can pay up to $400 per lead/sale if you send quality traffic through your affiliate links.

I wrote more about affiliate marketing in detail because I achieved my first ever $10,000+ month using the power of affiliate marketing.

4. Membership Sites

Companies like Netflix, Skype, Verizon and Comcast make a fortune through the use of monthly subscription services. You can create a website for a specific audience then charge them a monthly fee to use your site. Dating sites, software, tools and other types of content fit extremely well under this business model.

5. Ebook Sales

Many bloggers/writers are earning a lot of money by writing ebooks and selling them on their websites. You can also sell your book on Amazon.com for the kindle device.

I’ve written 4 ebooks on Kindle and while I didn’t make a fortune so far, I’ve earned over $1,000 with them over the last 3 years. If you write about evergreen content, then you can literally write the book, upload it and earn money month after month.

6. Amazon FBA

Amazon FBA is another popular online method for entrepreneurs who want to profit from selling wholesale products on Amazon.com for huge profit margins.

I’ve talked to a few people who are very active in the space and they recommend sourcing products from China then reselling them on Amazon.

I’ve heard of people earning well over $100,000 per month using this method because you benefit from the trust and strong brand Amazon has built over the years.

7. Youtube

Vlogging is extremely popular now and Youtube is the #1 place to earn money with your video content. I started out on Youtube back in 2007 with a gaming channel and built up a lot of subscribers until I started getting more involved in web development.

However, Youtube is still red hot and you can monetize your videos using Google Adsense to earn a nice living from your content.

8. Facebook Pages

Although Facebook has changed their algorithm to limit the reach of pages, you can still earn a lot of money by building up tons of likes then promoting products/services to your page.

The key is to create a page around a specific topic then post highly engaging content on your page to keep your followers interested. Every once in a while, promote something to your followers that earns you money.

9. Lead Generation

Most companies need targeted leads to increase their revenue and profits. The problem is that lead acquisition can be very expensive if you just use traditional online advertising.

Lead generation means you create an agreement with a merchant that will pay you a fixed amount per lead you send them. If you have a quality traffic source and lucrative payout, you can earn several thousands dollars per month just by sending leads to a merchant.

10. Freelance Writing

Every website needs content and freelance writing is one of the oldest ways to make money online. Simply join a content marketplace and start writing articles for your clients.

You’ll need to determine your rate per word and cost per article/content written. To earn more money, you can either raise your rates or start copywriting for companies who need sales copy.